Scottish Executive

Adult Literacy

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been employed on adult literacy projects in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally.

Air Passenger Duty

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding Air Passenger Duty and its impact on tourism.

Lewis Macdonald: Changes to Air Passenger Duty which directly benefit air services in the Highlands and Islands, and those services which carry passengers at the economy rate, were introduced in April 2001 following the Scottish Executive’s representations to the UK Government. The Executive has no plans at this time to make further representations.

Air Passenger Duty

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has regarding the amount of Air Passenger Duty collected from passengers in Scotland and any consequential impact on the economy, visitor numbers and transport strategy.

Lewis Macdonald: Air Passenger Duty (APD) is paid by airlines to Customs and Excise and there is no geographical breakdown. Passengers travelling from airports in the Highlands and Islands do not pay APD.

Air Services

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights on night flights to and from Heathrow will have on the number of flights to and from Scottish airports.

Lewis Macdonald: There will be no immediate change to present arrangements.

Airports

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the PFI project for the new passenger terminal at Inverness airport, (a) when the PFI project was entered into, (b) what advice was taken and from whom regarding (i) the terms of the contract, (ii) the length of the contract and (iii) the ability to vary the contract; (c) what ability Highlands and Airports Limited (HIAL) has to obtain payments from franchise operators in the terminal; (d) what method of revenue raising is available to HIAL other than landing charges, and (e) whether it will make a copy of the contract available in SPICe, subject to the deletion of any commercially confidential details, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Lewis Macdonald: The information is as follows:

  The contracts for the Inverness Airport Terminal PFI project were signed on 4 February 1998.

  Advice was taken from:

  Dundas and Wilson - legal

  Ernst and Young - financial

  Scottish Airports Ltd - estates

  Thomas and Adamson – value for money of building costs and content of Service Level Agreement

  Scottish Office – value for money, finance issues and confirmation of PFI contract

  HM Treasury and its PFI Unit – policy matters

  Revenues and concessionaires in the terminal building pass to Inverness Air Terminal Ltd, the owner and operator of the building.

  HIAL’s revenue flows from:

  Landing charges based on weight of aircraft

  Passenger charges based on arriving passenger numbers

  Aircraft parking

  On call charges

  Lease rentals

  Concessions

  Recovery of security costs

  Copies of the contract documentation to which Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) was a signatory are being made available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. The contract documents which did not involve, and were not signed by, HIAL are regarded as commercially confidential under the terms of the contract.

Alcohol Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to cut alcohol misuse and to create a new national committee to implement such a strategy since the publication of Towards a Healthier Scotland .

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is taking a range of measures to tackle alcohol misuse in Scotland. Work is currently going on to develop a nationally recognisable proof of age card in conjunction with Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Young Scot. Funding is also being provided for the Health Education Board for Scotland, Alcohol Focus Scotland and Drinkwise which raise awareness of alcohol misuse and undertake preventative activities with young people and community groups. Health education in schools is being improved in a number of ways and the Executive is also continuing to support the work of Alcohol Misuse Co-ordinating Committees which co-ordinate local prevention and treatment activities.

  The Scottish Advisory Committee on Alcohol Misuse (SACAM) was set up in 1999 to advise on the development of a national strategy. SACAM, which I chair, has taken a central role in advising on the development of the Executive's national Plan for Action on Alcohol Problems which we expect to publish by the end of the year.

Cancer

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Health Technology Board for Scotland has not carried out a Health Technology Assessment on the results of the recently completed NHS pilot studies on liquid-based cytology for cervical screening programmes.

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Health Technology Board for Scotland has not carried out a Health Technology Assessment on the cost effectiveness of introducing liquid-based cytology for cervical screening programmes throughout Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) when the report of the Health Economics Research Unit on its economic evaluation of the recently completed NHS in Scotland pilot studies on liquid-based cytology for cervical screening programmes will be published and (b) whether the report will be considered by the Health Technology Board for Scotland.

Susan Deacon: Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is an alternative method of taking cervical smears. Pilot studies in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK are examining the practicalities and cost-effectiveness of this method.

  The National Advisory Group on Cervical Screening will be considering a report from its steering group on the outcome of the Scottish cervical screening LBC pilot at its meeting in December. The report will include the findings of the Health Economics Research Unit’s (HERU) economic evaluation of the pilot. Depending on the outcome of the group’s considerations, the Health Technology Board for Scotland may wish to undertake an assessment on LBC for the cervical screening programme in collaboration with the National Institute of Clinical Excellence.

  All relevant evidence on the introduction of LBC, including the HERU evaluation findings, will be published when a decision on the new smear-taking method is made.

Cancer

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Health Technology Board for Scotland will reach a decision on the introduction of liquid-based cytology for cervical screening programmes and, if not, whose decision it will be.

Susan Deacon: Any advice on the introduction of liquid based cytology into the cervical screening programme from either the Health Technology Board for Scotland or the National Institute of Clinical Excellence or the national Advisory Group on Cervical Screening, will be considered by the Scottish Executive. Relevant guidance will issue to NHSScotland when appropriate.

Cancer

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost for all women across Scotland to be tested for cervical cancer with the liquid-based cytology/human papilloma virus test, compared to how much it will cost for all women across Scotland to be screened with the cervical smear test.

Susan Deacon: The recent Scottish pilot of liquid-based cytology (LBC) will provide the information needed to assess the practicalities and the cost-effectiveness of this alternative method of cervical smear taking. The cost of an LBC kit used in the pilot was £3.55 compared to the conventional smear cost of approximately 20p. The pilot studies will also take account of other costs associated with existing and LBC methods, including the cost of training and capital or lease costs for processing machinery.

  In England the pilot LBC studies are also looking at the feasibility of using human papilloma virus testing for the triage of mild or borderline smears. The costs associated with this test are not known. The Scottish Executive will consider the English pilot.

Cancer

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its evaluation is of what the proven detection rates would be if liquid-based cytology/human papilloma virus tests were applied universally in Scotland.

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many lives it estimates could be saved if liquid-based cytology/human papilloma virus tests were applied universally in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: Liquid-based Cytology (LBC) is an alternative method of taking cervical smears. Pilot studies in Scotland are examining the practicalities and cost-effectiveness of this method and further pilot studies in England are also looking at the use of human papilloma virus testing for the triage of mild or borderline smears.

  Detection rates for cervical abnormalities and mortality from invasive cervical cancer are expected to be similar using the existing smear taking process or the LBC method.

Cancer

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3930 by Susan Deacon on 25 October 2001, whether sufficient information is available to the public concerning the increased risk of melanoma associated with the use of artificial sun tanning apparatus.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3930 by Susan Deacon on 25 October 2001, what guidance it issues to the public concerning the increased risk of melanoma associated with the use of artificial sun tanning apparatus.

Susan Deacon: Health Education Board for Scotland provides a variety of information and advice for the public about reducing cancer risk. This information is available directly from their website www.hebs.scot.nhs.uk. NHS Boards also undertake dedicated awareness raising campaigns from time to time and have leaflets and information readily available.

Cancer

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision has been made to ensure equity of access to oncology services and treatment machines across Scotland and, in particular, to meet the current and anticipated levels of demand at the Glasgow Cancer Centre.

Susan Deacon: Cancer Scenarios: An aid to planning cancer services in Scotland in the next decade was published by the Executive in May 2001. It sets out projected patient numbers and looks at possible future influences on cancer services and models these to provide a foundation on which to plan care for people with cancer.

  Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change was launched in July 2001, setting out a clear strategy and future direction for cancer services in Scotland.

  On 6 November the first annual Implementation/investment plans to support implementation of Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change, and totalling more than £10 million, were published. More than £5 million has been allocated to West of Scotland regional cancer services to secure additional oncologists and other specialists, more specialist nurses and professions allied to medicine as well as support staff. Replacement and additional equipment to secure more rapid diagnosis and treatment will also become available during the coming months as these plans are put into place. All of these plans and investments – which are over and above existing local and national investment in cancer services – are aimed at improving access to cancer services.

  Detailed national and regional plans are available on both the Scottish Executive and Scottish Health on the Web (SHOW) websites – www.scotland.gov.uk and www.show.scot.nhs.uk. Copies have also been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  So far as radiotherapy treatment is concerned investment of more than £10 million has already seen the building and commissioning of the new Beatson Oncology Centre out-patient linear accelerator facilities at Gartnavel Hospital. Two of the planned three new linear accelerators are up and running and the third is expected to come on line within the next few weeks. In addition, the on-going linear accelerator modernisation programme, funded by the Scottish Executive, is now in its third wave. This will see a further two linear accelerators and a replacement tracking system commissioned in Glasgow during 2002-03.

  A £44 million capital building programme is planned to provide a new Cancer Centre for the West of Scotland, which it is anticipated will be sited at Gartnavel Hospital.

Cancer

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS consultant oncologists in the Greater Glasgow Health Board area were (a) invited to participate and (b) participated in the membership of the Scottish Cancer Group.

Susan Deacon: The employing authority of individual professional members of the Scottish Cancer Group (SGC) was not taken into consideration when planning its restructuring. Nor was it the intention to have individual representation from each and all of the professions or disciplines involved in cancer care or from every geographic area.

  All SCG members are expected to communicate freely with their colleagues across cancer networks, the voluntary sector and among patients and to ensure appropriate feedback to the group.

  Full details of the membership of the Scottish Cancer Group have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. Membership is also available through Scottish Health on the Web at www.show.scot.nhs.uk.

Cancer

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies for NHS consultant oncology posts there currently are in the Greater Glasgow Health Board area and how many are anticipated to become vacant in the next 12 months.

Susan Deacon: Information on consultant vacancies is collected annually by ISD Scotland.

  This data does not reflect recent staffing changes in the Greater Glasgow NHS Board area, where there are currently three vacant consultant oncology posts which are subject to the normal process for filling vacancies. In addition, interviews will shortly be held for two newly created consultant oncology posts in Greater Glasgow.

  Information on anticipated future vacancies cannot be predicted with any accuracy, because these are affected by individual decisions to retire or move to another post.

Cancer

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received from North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust or Greater Glasgow Health Board on any implications for patients awaiting or undergoing investigations or treatments, and on emergency planning for such patients, at the Gynaecological Oncology Department at Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow, following the resignation of Dr Tim Habeshaw.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recommendations have been made to the managers of the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust regarding an action plan for cancer services in the trust's area; what reports, briefing or information it has received on the nature, dates and efficacy of the actions undertaken by the managers there regarding any such plan and what assessment has been made by it or on its behalf of the nature, timescale or efficiency of these actions.

Susan Deacon: As a consequence of the (then rumoured) impending resignations of three consultant oncologists, the Chief Executive of North Glasgow University Hospitals Trust was asked by the Chief Medical Officer on 2 November 2001 to confirm that local plans were in hand to ensure continuity of services for all   patients with cancer, regardless of tumour type or hospital/centre of referral and treatment.

  A further full report subsequently requested, on my behalf, was received as requested from Mr Divers, Chief Executive of Greater Glasgow NHS Board. The report sets out a clear timetable of action to ensure continuity of cancer services in Glasgow.

Cancer

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to establish a regional cancer advisory group for the Greater Glasgow Health Board area.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care on 12 July 2001 on the membership of the Scottish Cancer Group, what progress has been made in securing the representation and participation of oncologists and other medical and nursing staff, together with patients, in the Regional Cancer Advisory Group for the Greater Glasgow Health Board area.

Susan Deacon: The West of Scotland Regional Cancer Advisory Group involves Argyll & Clyde, Ayrshire & Arran, Forth Valley and Lanarkshire NHS Board areas as well as Greater Glasgow.

  I understand that the proposed structure and membership of the West of Scotland Regional Cancer Advisory Group is the subject of current discussions with these NHS Boards, trusts and health care professionals and other staff and that arrangements are expected to be finalised in the near future.

  Once fully established, membership details for all three Regional Cancer Advisory Groups in North, South East and West of Scotland will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. Details will also be made available through the Scottish Health on the Web website (www.show.scot.nhs.uk).

Cancer

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the impact on specialist cancer services in the Greater Glasgow Health Board area of meeting previously unmet needs.

Susan Deacon: There are a variety of ways in which needs assessments are informed. For cancer services these include,

  the Scottish Executive’s on-going modernisation programme for radiotherapy treatment equipment. This programme has already seen three new linear accelerators sited in the new Beatson Oncology Centre facility at Gartnavel Hospital:

  a preparatory assessment of chemotherapy needs for breast, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancers was carried out by the previous Scottish Cancer Group (SCG). This work is shortly to be taken forward by the current SCG and will inform service planning in the future;

  Cancer Scenarios: an aid to planning cancer services in the next decade was published by the Scottish Executive in May of this year;

  the Royal College of Radiologists, which includes radiation oncology, published two reviews in 1999, one on workforce needs and one on linear accelerator needs, and

  in 1999, the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (SMASAC) undertook an assessment of radiology equipment needs.

  The Scottish Executive expects that the advice of Royal Colleges and other professional advisory bodies be taken into account when local NHS providers are planning the delivery of services.

Central Heating

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many council houses in Glasgow will have central heating installed under the central heating installation programme in the financial years (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03. (c) 2003-04 and (d) 2004-05.

Jackie Baillie: The City of Glasgow Council have been allocated resources under the Central Heating Programme which will allow them to install around 1,900 central heating systems in their own stock in 2001-02. Resources for future years will ensure that all council stock which currently lacks central heating receives it. The resources will come from the Glasgow Housing Association if the tenants vote in favour of stock transfer and from the Scottish Executive if they do not.

Central Heating

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the estimated 141,000 tenants have applied under the central heating installation programme since April 2001 and how many have benefited.

Jackie Baillie: We estimate that 23,000 local authority tenants, 6,000 housing association tenants and 40,000 pensioners who are private sector tenants or owner occupiers lack central heating. From April 2004 the programme will be extended to 20,000 local authority tenants to convert partial systems to whole house systems.

  Over 5,200 local authority tenants, 1,500 housing association tenants and 3,500 households in the private sector will benefit this year. Information on the programme will be collected and a full report will be published each year.

Central Heating

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18237 by Jackie Baillie on 8 October 2001, how many local authority and housing association tenants in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency will qualify for the central heating and insulation installation.

Jackie Baillie: The information contained in the reply to question S1W-18237 on 8 October 2001 cannot be shown on a constituency basis.

Civil Servants

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants have been posted to Helsinki since May 1999, detailing their grade and the nature of their posting there.

Angus MacKay: Since May 1999, one Scottish Executive member of staff in Band B has completed a five-week attachment to the Ministry of the Interior, Department for Regional Development in Helsinki to assist with their contribution to the EU Urban Exchange Initiative. A further member of staff also in Band B has completed a three-month attachment to the same Department in Helsinki to assist with the administrative arrangements before and during the Tampere Informal and the Helsinki Millennium meeting.

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether people who have been assessed as requiring care in their own homes are eligible for direct payments for their care from local authorities.

Malcolm Chisholm: Direct payments are available to disabled people, aged 18 and over, who have been assessed as needing community care services, including care in their own homes.

  Direct payments can be used to purchase all community care services except permanent residential care. They can, however, be used to purchase temporary residential care subject to a maximum set down in regulations.

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why net expenditure on social work for all Community Care Client groups fell by £44.97 million between 1996-97 and 1999-2000, as detailed on page 78 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 .

Malcolm Chisholm: From 1997-98 onwards, this category excludes expenditure on nursing homes. The gross expenditure has increased by £21.3 million between 1997-98 and 1999-2000 (net expenditure increase of £12.6 million).

Crime Prevention

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what grants have been made under the Challenge Competition Fund to each local authority for closed circuit television in each year since 1997.

Iain Gray: Since 1997 Scottish local authority areas have received funding for CCTV from the Executive. The breakdown is as follows:

  


£000 
  

1996-97 
  

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  

Total 
  



Aberdeen 
  
 

 72,000 
  
 

 50,000 
  
 

 122,000 
  



Angus 
  
 

224,000 
  
 
 
 

 224,000 
  



Argyll & Bute 
  

111,531 
  

 71,000 
  

 71,350 
  
 
 

 253,881 
  



Borders 
  

 95,963 
  

 49,500 
  

 42,000 
  
 

 70,000 
  

 257,463 
  



Clackmannshire 
  

 53,250 
  
 
 

182,770 
  
 

 236,020 
  



Dundee 
  

193,000 
  
 
 

 33,000 
  

 60,000 
  

 286,000 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

 65,000 
  
 
 
 
 

 65,000 
  



East Ayrshire 
  
 

107,085 
  
 

 93,510 
  

 41,000 
  

 241,595 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  
 

 26,000 
  
 
 

 67,000 
  

 93,000 
  



East Kilbride 
  
 

 59,000 
  
 

 48,410 
  
 

 107,410 
  



East Lothian 
  

 80,000 
  

 80,000 
  

135,450 
  
 

 20,000 
  

 315,450 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  
 

153,000 
  

 56,500 
  
 

180,000 
  

 389,500 
  



Edinburgh 
  

142,500 
  
 
 

258,270 
  

246,000 
  

 646,770 
  



Falkirk 
  

 73,860 
  

 73,900 
  

 79,800 
  

 74,400 
  

 50,000 
  

 351,960 
  



Fife 
  

194,535 
  

 9,000 
  

 35,000 
  
 

250,000 
  

 488,535 
  



Glasgow 
  

188,207 
  

422,500 
  

399,800 
  

288,600 
  

350,000 
  

1,649,108 
  



Highland 
  

112,872 
  
 

 26,600 
  

 27,500 
  

101,000 
  

 267,972 
  



Inverclyde 
  
 
 

 25,000 
  
 
 

 25,000 
  



Midlothian 
  

 5,000 
  
 
 

 75,000 
  

110,000 
  

 235,000 
  



Moray 
  
 

180,000 
  
 
 
 

180,000 
  



North Ayrshire 
  
 

 47,000 
  
 

 29,500 
  
 

 76,500 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

221,000 
  

135,500 
  

97,500 
  
 

 17,000 
  

471,000 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  
 
 

26,500 
  

 30,000 
  
 

 56,500 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

 51,694 
  

 54,000 
  

70,000 
  
 
 

175,694 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

 45,000 
  
 

88,500 
  

105,500 
  
 

239,000 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

 64,000 
  
 

45,000 
  
 
 

109,000 
  



Stirling 
  
 

 15,000 
  

52,500 
  

49,100 
  

 50,000 
  

166,600 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

108,490 
  

 90,000 
  
 

269,440 
  
 

467,930 
  



Western Isles 
  

 66,000 
  
 
 
 
 

 66,000 
  



West Lothian 
  
 
 

58,500 
  
 
 

 58,500

Dental Care

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18922 by Susan Deacon on 23 October 2001, what plans it has to target the promotion of better dental care specifically at 12-year-olds.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive have no specific plans to target 12-year-olds with health promotion programmes beyond those already offered in health services throughout Scotland. 76% of children in this age group in Glasgow are registered with a general dental practitioner. Through targeting younger children from six years of age onwards and making payments to dentists for preventive treatments will reduce dental disease in 12-year-olds considerably. Research would suggest that programmes such as the enhanced capitation and preventive scheme recently introduced into NHS dental services this year, could reduce dental disease in 12-year-olds by up to 50%.

Dentists

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why the ratio of dentists to population in Scotland is less than in England.

Susan Deacon: Based on data held by the Department of Health and ISD Scotland, the ratio of all dentists providing services within the NHS is 48.94 per 100,000 population in Scotland and 43.81 per 100,000 population in England. These figures include dentists working in General Dental Services, Community Dental Services and Hospital Dental Services.

Dentists

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the 53% of new dentists added to the dentists’ register in the year 2000 who were drawn from abroad have received training, experience and qualifications to the same standard as graduates from Scotland’s dental schools.

Susan Deacon: Entry to the Dentists Register is an issue for the General Dental Council. This body and such issues are reserved and dealt with through the Department of Health in England.

  Entering the Dentists Register in the UK is not the same as working in the UK. Entry to the register does not guarantee entry to the UK or a work permit to work here. Home Office permission must still be granted and immigration criteria satisfied, for dentists from outwith the European Economic Area (EEA). Dentists who qualify in the EEA are entitled to free movement within that area, including the UK.

  In Scotland, 98.3% of General Dental Practitioners trained in the UK, (91% in Scotland) 1.8% elsewhere (EEA including Ireland and overseas).

  The Scottish Executive Health Department is pursuing policies aimed at retaining Scottish graduates in Scotland.

Development

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is assisting social economy organisations to set up or expand their existing services.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive launched Social Investment Scotland on 19 September. This new loan fund will assist social economy organisations by providing loan finance, business development support and technical assistance.

  A review of the Executive’s current policies towards the social economy is currently under way. It will assess the potential of the social economy to contribute to Scottish Executive objectives, identify any strategic initiatives or changes to operational policy that are required to realise the potential of the social economy and set out key action points for the Executive.

Digital Hearing Aids

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend the programme for digital hearing aids on the NHS as recommended by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (Scotland).

Susan Deacon: The Good Practice Guidance on Adult Hearing and Fitting Services issued to NHSScotland in March 2001 recommends that digital aids should be supplied whenever clinical judgement indicates that they would provide benefit to the patient involved that would not be provided by other types of hearing aid.

  There are currently 11 different types of digital hearing aid included within the wide range of hearing aids available through central contracts arranged by Scottish Healthcare Supplies for NHSScotland. Having already introduced digital aids onto their contract range, NHSScotland is not involved in the pilot scheme currently being conducted in 20 sites in England. We will, of course, be interested to see the results of the studies as and when they become available.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend programmes such as the Domestic Violence Probation Project in Edinburgh and Midlothian and the Fergus Project in Angus to other areas of Scotland.

Iain Gray: Criminal justice social work services are provided by groupings of local authorities and they are currently finalising their strategic plans for the period 2002-05. A number of these plans include proposals for domestic violence programmes. The bids for Executive funding to support these programmes will be considered along with other bids which have been submitted, within the context of the national priorities set for criminal justice social work. It is hoped to inform the groupings of the outcome early in 2002.

Enterprise

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive for what period is Mr David Sibbald, its e-commerce advisor, contracted to work for it and what periods he has worked.

Ms Wendy Alexander: David Sibbald is under contract to the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department of the Executive to provide advice in connection with the recently published broadband strategy.

  David Sibbald entered into a six-month framework contract with the Executive which commenced on 6 September 2001. It was estimated that his advice and support would be required approximately four days per month and over the first part of the contract period this has been the case.

Enterprise

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18456 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 5 October 2001, what action it intends to take to encourage an increase in expenditure on research and development by businesses in Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: We recognise that raising Scotland's performance on research and development is central to achieving a smart, successful Scotland. The Enterprise Networks are taking this forward, and one of the progress measures which we plan to use to guide their priorities is business investment in research and development as a proportion of GDP.

  Following publication in February 2001 of the Scottish Executive Report on the Knowledge Economy Cross-Cutting Initiative £7.5 million was allocated over three years for the expansion of existing innovation schemes (SMART/ SPUR, TCS and Faraday Partnerships). Greater commercialisation of research is being encouraged through a variety of initiatives including: the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council’s (SHEFC) £6 million Knowledge Transfer Grant; Royal Society of Edinburgh/Scottish Enterprise Enterprise Fellowships, and the Proof of Concept Fund to which the Executive has allocated an additional £19 million bringing that total to £30 million. Further proposals to support commercialisation will arise from SHEFC’s Review of Research Funding.

  In addition, earlier this year, I commissioned a review of the RSA scheme, partly to consider what more we could do to support high technology projects and encourage growth in our knowledge based businesses. I expect to receive the report of the review in the course of next month and thereafter to announce some further related initiatives.

Environment

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to meet the bio-diversity conventions agreed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive is committed to the implementation in Scotland of the UK obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

  Ministers agreed the establishment of the Scottish Biodiversity Group in 1996 to co-ordinate and take forward the UK Government’s commitments, in Scotland, to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Full details of the work and objectives of the Scottish Biodiversity Group have been published in Biodiversity in Scotland: The Way Forward (1997), Action for Scotland’s Biodiversity, 2000 and A Flying Start: Local Biodiversity Action in Scotland, 2001. A further report, commissioned on behalf of ministers, on the progress of the Scottish Biodiversity Group in its first five years, will be presented next year.

Environment

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15395 by Rhona Brankin on 10 May 2001, what progress it has made in improving the protection of Scotland’s soil resource.

Rhona Brankin: The recent study carried out by Stirling University on the development of a soil protection strategy for Scotland, which we are currently considering, recommended that the proposed Advisory Committee on Scottish Soils should review the available survey data as held by the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (MLURI) and others. The MLURI are currently undertaking this exercise and expect to report early in the new year.

European Commission

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what effect the European Commission’s proposed Physical Agents directive will have on the economy and (b) what strategies it proposes to handle any effects of introduction of the directive.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has no function in relation to the health and safety implications in the proposed European Commission’s Physical Agents directive.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what volume of traffic using the new continental ferry from Rosyth could be carried to and from the port by rail if a rail link is created.

Sarah Boyack: We understand that there would be no capacity constraints on carrying ferry traffic to and from the port by rail if a rail link was made between the proposed ferry terminal and the existing dockyard rail line. It should also be noted that the proposed ferry service from Rosyth to Zeebrugge is a roll-on/roll-off service and it is our understanding that the traffic that it is planned to carry will be drawn in the main from the road.

Fireworks

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to reduce the number of accidents caused by fireworks.

Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-3987 on 1 November 2001.

Fireworks

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of injuries caused by fireworks to (a) domestic pets and (b) other animals were reported (i) prior to 5 November, (ii) on 5 November and (iii) after 5 November in each of the last five years.

Iain Gray: This information is not held centrally.

Fisheries

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the total capacity of the whitefish fleet is represented by (a) the total number of applications made and (b) the qualifying offers for entry into the ranking list received under the fishing vessels decommissioning scheme.

Rhona Brankin: There is no fixed definition of, nor is the UK fleet segmented separately into "the whitefish fleet". It is also possible to interpret the question in a number of ways.

  In determining eligibility for access to the Scottish decommissioning scheme, we took account of actual and potential whitefish capacity (based on the category of fishing licence held) alongside EC requirements relating to decommissioning grant. Using the resulting catchment of eligible vessels as the baseline, the total number of applications received and qualifying bids received under the scheme represent, respectively, 40% and 36% (based on the tonnage of the vessels concerned.)

Food Standards

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many inspections have been carried out on imported processed food including sausages, pies and pâté since 1 July 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Food Standards Agency advises that, since July 1999, there have been no recorded imports of meat or meat products arriving from third countries requiring inspection at Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) in Scotland.

  Imports into Scotland from other member states, and through BIPs elsewhere in the UK, must comply with the general food safety requirements applicable to all food in Scotland and are not subject to further import inspections.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why it has identified Garlaff Landfill Site in East Ayrshire as a site for the disposal of ash derived from the pyres of foot-and-mouth disease infected cattle carcasses.

Ross Finnie: The best scientific advice is that ash from pyres across the country should be disposed of at licensed engineered landfill sites. There is material at two sites in Dumfries and Galloway and one in the Scottish Borders which requires disposal but there are no such sites in those areas. Following consultation with the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, it was concluded that the Best Practicable Environmental Option is to dispose of the material at Garlaff Landfill site, the nearest suitable facility in Scotland.

  There is no risk of the material harbouring the foot-and-mouth virus. The transportation of the ash to a site outside Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders does not jeopardise any livestock either en-route or in the vicinity of the final disposal site.

Football

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what reassurances it has sought from UEFA and other international sporting bodies that any bid by the Scottish Football Association to host the European Football Championship in 2008 will not be influenced by the circumstances surrounding the recent bid by Her Majesty’s Government to host the World Athletics Championships in 2005.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has not been in discussion with UEFA or any other international sporting body about the World Athletics Championships. I am aware, however, that the Scottish Football Association, as the body responsible for any bid which may be made for the European Championships, has raised the matter with UEFA.

Freight

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive by what process it prioritises projects seeking support under the Freight Facilities Grant scheme and on what criteria such prioritising is based.

Sarah Boyack: There are a number of variables that are considered when prioritising Freight Facilities Grant applications. The principal criteria used are a comparison of the grant cost with the environmental benefits that will be secured, the actual level of grant sought taking account of the available resources and an assessment of the relative strategic importance of the projects under consideration which takes account of input from the Strategic Rail Authority where appropriate.

Further Education

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the further integration of entrepreneurship into further education curriculums.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The curriculum offered by a further education (FE) college is a matter for the college’s Board of Management to determine. The Scottish Executive has, however, issued guidance to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council emphasising the importance of developing a workforce of entrepreneurs and of promoting an entrepreneurial culture.

  The Funding Council’s current corporate plan in turn emphasises the FE sector’s strong role in promoting enterprise and entrepreneurship through the services provided for local business.

Further Education

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding has been provided to each further education college in each year since 1997.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The information requested is as follows:

  


College 
  

Overall Funding
1997-98
(£ million) 
  

Overall Funding
1998-99
(£ million) 
  

Overall Funding
1999-2000
(£ million) 
  

Overall Funding
2000-01
(£ million) 
  



Aberdeen College 
  

 17,241,100 
  

 16,755,800 
  

 18,593,553 
  

 22,990,267 
  



Angus College 
  

 4,729,900 
  

 4,879,650 
  

 5,573,199 
  

 6,978,876 
  



Anniesland College 
  

 5,056,000 
  

 5,258,650 
  

 5,989,852 
  

 7,237,595 
  



Ayr College 
  

 5,585,000 
  

 5,803,608 
  

 6,741,197 
  

 8,436,411 
  



Banff & Buchan College of Further Education 
  

 4,676,600 
  

4,660,050 
  

5,392,707 
  

 6,426,805 
  



The Barony College 
  

 1,306,300 
  

 1,261,650 
  

 1,448,464 
  

 1,712,186 
  



Bell of College of Technology 
  

4,736,900 
  

4,481,950 
  

7,577,500 
  

6,613,501 
  



Borders College 
  

 5,198,000 
  

 4,809,500 
  

 5,562,143 
  

 6,258,662 
  



Cardonald College 
  

 8,146,300 
  

 10,285,450 
  

 9,790,222 
  

 11,478,917 
  



Central College of Commerce 
  

5,055,500 
  

5,240,900 
  

5,555,110 
  

6,349,883 
  



Clackmannan College of Further Education 
  

 2,920,300 
  

 3,000,600 
  

 3,270,101 
  

 3,926,079 
  



Clydebank College 
  

 7,432,900 
  

 8,346,450 
  

 8,386,494 
  

 9,058,602 
  



Coatbridge College 
  

 4,545,800 
  

 4,692,950 
  

 5,282,315 
  

 5,995,008 
  



Cumbernauld College 
  

 3,472,200 
  

 3,601,700 
  

 4,201,802 
  

 4,803,652 
  



Dumfries & Galloway College 
  

6,214,100 
  

5,894,600 
  

6,403,190 
  

6,949,326 
  



Dundee College 
  

 11,713,400 
  

 11,638,250 
  

 12,584,229 
  

 15,667,879 
  



Edinburgh's Telford College 
  

 15,086,400 
  

 15,383,288 
  

 16,422,257 
  

 17,773,126 
  



Elmwood College 
  

 3,488,900 
  

 3,464,650 
  

 4,028,392 
  

 4,515,789 
  



Falkirk College of Further & Higher Education 
  

8,979,300 
  

9,338,797 
  

10,875,655 
  

12,715,275 
  



Fife College of Further & Higher Education 
  

7,565,600 
  

7,237,050 
  

8,560,912 
  

10,325,151 
  



Glasgow College of Building & Printing 
  

6,240,400 
  

7,122,350 
  

8,014,200 
  

9,143,304 
  



Glasgow College of Food Technology 
  

3,727,300 
  

3,843,250 
  

3,867,991 
  

4,652,710 
  



Glasgow College of Nautical Studies 
  

4,260,500 
  

4,547,500 
  

4,954,154 
  

5,510,861 
  



Glenrothes College 
  

 5,890,900 
  

 5,989,400 
  

 6,531,901 
  

 6,923,956 
  



Inverness College 
  

 7,159,300 
  

 7,090,450 
  

 9,404,822 
  

 7,471,237 
  



James Watt College of Further & Higher Education 
  

10,400,000 
  

11,849,200 
  

13,899,300 
  

19,711,917 
  



Jewel & Esk Valley College 
  

8,044,800 
  

8,044,050 
  

9,080,716 
  

10,054,871 
  



John Wheatley College 
  

 3,979,400 
  

 4,045,849 
  

 4,380,680 
  

 8,546,865 
  



Kilmarnock College 
  

 6,970,100 
  

 7,179,921 
  

 8,050,087 
  

 8,759,018 
  



Langside College 
  

 7,382,000 
  

 7,055,229 
  

 8,179,466 
  

 9,534,995 
  



Lauder College 
  

 6,570,800 
  

 6,557,450 
  

 7,731,140 
  

 7,531,716 
  



Lews Castle College 
  

 2,231,200 
  

 4,191,700 
  

 4,710,731 
  

 2,637,081 
  



Moray College 
  

 6,017,400 
  

 5,916,250 
  

 6,342,001 
  

 6,652,851 
  



Motherwell College 
  

 9,769,500 
  

 9,852,050 
  

 10,537,104 
  

 12,411,060 
  



North Glasgow College 
  

 6,221,500 
  

 5,983,250 
  

 6,135,900 
  

 6,979,050 
  



The North Highland College1


 2,843,100 
  

 2,939,950 
  

3,623,600 
  

3,701,445 
  



Oatridge Agricultural College 
  

 1,997,200 
  

 1,992,900 
  

 2,154,223 
  

 2,496,591 
  



Perth College 
  

 6,722,500 
  

 6,453,705 
  

 6,817,254 
  

 7,800,698 
  



Reid Kerr College 
  

 9,635,300 
  

 9,409,650 
  

 10,542,874 
  

 11,593,673 
  



South Lanarkshire College2


 4,721,800 
  

 4,548,500 
  

 4,820,986 
  

 5,497,319 
  



Stevenson College 
  

 11,975,700 
  

 13,352,050 
  

 13,403,637 
  

 14,656,900 
  



Stow College 
  

 5,261,700 
  

 5,438,250 
  

 6,488,796 
  

 7,282,701 
  



West Lothian College 
  

 5,062,700 
  

 4,962,603 
  

 5,418,376 
  

 6,074,828 
  



Orkney Islands Council 
  

 457,000 
  

 730,900 
  

 1,131,720 
  

 1,162,050 
  



Shetland Islands Council 
  

 1,330,900 
  

 1,354,650 
  

 1,395,590 
  

 1,396,559 
  



Sabhal Mor Ostaig 
  

 400,000 
  

 529,450 
  

 846,880 
  

 656,856 
  



Newbattle Abbey College 
  

------ 
  

 264,250 
  

 291,790 
  

 320,719 
  



  Notes:

  1. Formerly Thurso College.

  2. Formerly Cambuslang College.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring it undertakes of the use of antibiotics in hospitals.

Susan Deacon: Detailed information about the use of antibiotics in hospitals is not held centrally.

  The Executive has issued guidance to NHSScotland on the systems and processes, including monitoring, required to support the safe and effective use of antibiotics in primary and secondary care.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any potential overlap of remits between the Scottish Medicines Consortium and the Health Technology Board for Scotland

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Medicines Consortium will provide a single source of advice to local Area Drug and Therapeutic Committees using the evidence available at the time of marketing of new drugs. Once sufficient evidence is available, this initial national advice might be the subject of a more measured assessment by the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) or by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE). HTBS carries out full health technology assessments based on evidence of use of health technologies, including drugs, in the NHS. HTBS also provides administrative and methodological support to the consortium.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit and membership of the Scottish Medicines Consortium will be.

Susan Deacon: The Chief Medical Officer has asked Professor David Lawson to establish a Scottish Medicines Consortium to make recommendations to all NHS Boards and their Area Drug and Therapeutic Committees about the formulary status of all newly licensed medicines, all new formulations of existing medicines and any major new indications for established products. This advice should be promulgated as soon as practical after the launch of the product involved. A number of individuals are being approached by the Chief Medical Officer to serve on the consortium. However, as this process is not complete a full list of members will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre as soon as it is available.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the future role of area drugs and therapeutics committees will be once the Scottish Medicines Consortium is established.

Susan Deacon: Providing advice on new drugs at the time of their marketing is but one of the tasks currently carried out by Area Drug and Therapeutic Committees. The establishment of the Scottish Medicines Consortium will allow the local committees more time to provide this wider support to clinicians in their area.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether health boards will be required to adhere to any recommendations made by the Scottish Medicines Consortium on NHS prescription drugs.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Medicines Consortium will provide a single Scottish source of advice to local Area Drug and Therapeutic Committees and NHS Boards. Clinical freedom will still allow clinicians to make prescribing decisions using their skills and knowledge of individual patients. However, increasingly they will do this against a background of Scotland-wide advice and will, under clinical governance, have to justify any divergence from that national advice.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage NHS Trusts to identify patients with a high risk of developing osteoporosis and ensure that these patients are offered appropriate physiotherapy services

Malcolm Chisholm: There is not at present any reliable method of identifying patients at a high risk of developing osteoporosis, nor is there any evidence that physiotherapy can do anything to prevent it from developing. The only measures known to prevent the development of osteoporosis are exercise, low alcohol consumption, not smoking and a balanced diet with a higher consumption of calcium and vitamin D and lowered consumption of sodium, protein and caffeine. These are all measures which are actively promoted by the Executive, because they reduce the risks of developing many other conditions as well as osteoporosis.

Health

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13521 by Susan Deacon on 12 March 2001, when it will publish the results of the review of progress towards the elimination of mixed sex hospital wards.

Susan Deacon: A review of progress towards the elimination of mixed sex wards by April 2002 is currently being conducted.

Health

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17830 by Susan Deacon on 12 October 2001, whether sufficient resources are accessible throughout Scotland to treat sleep apnoea adequately.

Susan Deacon: It is for NHS Boards to determine how best to spend the increased resources allocated to them, to meet national priorities and address the health needs of their resident populations.

Health

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what health funding, in addition to the annual budget assignment, was allocated to Lanarkshire Health Board in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99, (c) 1999-2000 and (d) 2000-01.

Susan Deacon: Lanarkshire Health Board received the following allocations in addition to the general allocation (unified budget from 1999-2000) issued at the start of the financial year.

  





£ million 
  



1997-98 
  

36 
  



1998-99 
  

59 
  



1999-2000 
  

11 
  



2000-01 
  

26 
  



  The variation from year to year reflects the ad hoc nature of additional allocations.

Health

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what factors lead to a patient being classified as high-risk for the purposes of podiatry and chiropody.

Susan Deacon: It is not possible to list all the high risk factors which would lead to referral for chiropody/podiatry. It is up to the individual clinician to determine the clinical priority based on their assessment of the patient.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out into the delivery of clot-busting drugs by paramedics before patients are taken to hospital for emergency treatment.

Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to S1W-19635 on 16 November 2001.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to prescribe selenium supplements to people suffering from diabetes and obesity.

Susan Deacon: No.

Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question to S1W-15240 by Susan Deacon on 24 May 2001, how it plans to address any concerns of parents with children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder who have been prescribed methylphenidate other than through the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network 52 Guidelines.

Malcolm Chisholm: There is already provision for such concerns to be addressed, in the first instance by discussion with the prescribing clinician. If parents are still not satisfied it is open to them to seek resolution through the NHS complaints procedure.

  Section 1.4 of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 52 on Attention Deficit and Hyperkinetic Disorders in Children and Young People makes it clear that its good practice guidance should not be construed as including all proper methods of care or excluding all other acceptable methods of care aimed at the same results. Doctors may use their own clinical judgement in any given case, though they are advised to ensure that any significant departures from the guideline are fully documented in the case notes.

Higher Education

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding has been provided to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council in each year since 1997.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The level of funding provided to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council since 1997 is as follows:

  


1997-98
(£ million) 
  

1998-99
(£ million) 
  

1999-2000
(£ million) 
  

2000-01
(£ million) 
  

2001-021
(£ million) 
  

2002-031
(£ million) 
  

2003-041
(£ million) 
  



551 
  

574 
  

599 
  

609 
  

660 
  

676 
  

698 
  



  Notes:

  1. These are the proposed spending plans for the next three years, and exclude any additional funding transferred to SHEFC from other bodies in respect of newly designated institutions (Bell College, UHIMI and the Open University).

Historic Buildings

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers have met representatives of the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland since 1 July 1999 and on which occasions.

Allan Wilson: Rhona Brankin, then Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport, attended the meeting of the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland in November 1999. I met with representatives of the council last month.

Historic Buildings

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers have met representatives of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland since 1 July 1999 and on which occasions.

Allan Wilson: Rhona Brankin, the then Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport, met representatives of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland on 26 June 2000. I met representatives of the commission on 27 September 2001.

Home Safety

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage the appointment of dedicated home safety officers in each local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for each local authority.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6807 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 30 May 2000, whether it would intervene in any plans to demolish housing stock in Glasgow that were not supported by the results of the consultations with tenant-led landlords, tenants and others.

Ms Margaret Curran: Decisions regarding the Glasgow Housing Association's proposed demolition programme will be a matter for the Glasgow Housing Association in consultation with local housing organisations. Tenants will play a key role in developing proposals for demolition and new build in their areas.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements will be in place for the re-housing of tenants and owner-occupiers of any buildings demolished as part of the proposed transfer of Glasgow City Council’s housing stock.

Ms Margaret Curran: Detailed arrangements for the re-housing of tenants affected by demolitions will be discussed and agreed at local level. Owner-occupier homes affected by demolitions will be purchased at the market level as estimated by the District Valuer. Where necessary arrangements will be made with owner occupiers to ensure that their housing needs are met.

Housing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2340 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 5 October 2001, (a) what types of jobs would be created through the potential net additional employment effect of housing stock transfer in Glasgow, (b) how many such jobs would be (i) full-time and (ii) part-time and (c) whether there would be any impact on Glasgow City Council’s building Direct Labour Organisation.

Ms Margaret Curran: It has been estimated the Glasgow housing transfer will create over 3,000 full-time jobs in the construction and other related industries. It is intended that contractual arrangements will be put in place between the Glasgow Housing Association and the Direct Labour Organisation in respect of continuing repairs and maintenance work.

Housing

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what the full costs were of establishing Communities Scotland, including the costs of any external consultants for design purposes and (b) what the full costs will be of winding up Scottish Homes.

Jackie Baillie: The full costs of establishing Communities Scotland, including the costs of employing external consultants, was £70,000. No date has yet been set for the winding up of Scottish Homes and therefore it is not at this stage possible to predict what costs, if any, will be incurred.

Housing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the ballot on housing stock transfer in Glasgow will take place.

Ms Margaret Curran: The date for the ballot on the proposed housing stock transfer is a matter for Glasgow City Council.

Housing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the £415 million allocated to Glasgow City Council for new social housing building in Glasgow will be allocated to the council if council house tenants vote against housing stock transfer and, if not, to whom this money will be allocated.

Ms Margaret Curran: The announcement on 27 September made it clear that the additional funding for re-provisioning and demolition costs in Glasgow was subject to the transfer proceeding.

Human Rights

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the consultation on Protecting Our Rights: A Human Rights Commission for Scotland and when it expects to be able to inform the Parliament of the outcome of the consultation process.

Iain Gray: I am currently considering the outcome of the consultation exercise and options for the way forward. I will be discussing the issues with my ministerial colleagues, and intend to make an announcement around the end of the year.

  An analysis of the responses to the consultation exercise will be published on the Executive website shortly.

Identity Cards

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake an investigation into the effectiveness of personal identity cards in combating and preventing crime in countries where such cards have been introduced.

Iain Gray: We have no plans to undertake such an investigation.

Justice

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many court cases were cancelled in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01 and what the total cost of such cancellations was in each year.

Iain Gray: The following tables set out

  The number of criminal trials in the Sheriff Court which were called but which did not proceed to have evidence led on the date of calling. It separately identifies those which did not proceed because a plea was tendered and accepted.

  The number of Indictments registered in the High Court, separately identifying those which did not proceed because a plea was tendered and accepted on the day of trial. Information is not readily available on High Court cases which otherwise did not proceed on the day of trial.

  No information on the cost of cancellations is collected.

  





Sheriff Court 
  



1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



Solemn 
  

Summary 
  

Solemn 
  

Summary 
  



Trials called 
  

1,924 
  

41,251 
  

2,052 
  

40,800 
  



Trials called and adjourned to another day (inc. Arrest 
  Warrants) 
  

618 
  

24,503 
  

592 
  

24,168 
  



As % of Trials Called 
  

32% 
  

59% 
  

29% 
  

59% 
  



Trials called – Guilty plea tendered (no evidence led) 
  

509 
  

8,858 
  

578 
  

9,205 
  



As % of Trials Called 
  

26% 
  

21% 
  

28% 
  

23% 
  



Evidence led trials 
  

797 
  

7,890 
  

882 
  

7,427 
  



 As % of Trials Called 
  

41% 
  

19% 
  

43% 
  

18% 
  



  

 

High Court 
  



1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



Indictments registered 
  

1,478 
  

1,343 
  



Guilty plea tendered (no Evidence led) 
  

667 
  

561 
  



As % of Indictments registered 
  

45% 
  

42% 
  



Evidence led trials 
  

407 
  

462 
  



As % of Indictments registered 
  

27.5% 
  

34.5%

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of court rooms in the High Court building in Edinburgh from two to three and what effect any such increase will have on the resources available to the High Court or any agencies which utilise the building.

Iain Gray: There are no plans to increase the number of courtrooms in the High Court Building in Edinburgh. The refurbishment of the former Sheriff Court House in the Lawnmarket to provide accommodation for the High Court in Edinburgh was completed in 1997 and already provides four courtrooms for use by the High Court.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessments it has made, or have been made on its behalf, of the effects of the draft Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (Privative Jurisdiction and Summary Cause) Order 2001 and the draft Small Claims (Scotland) Amendment Order 2001 on judicial expenses likely to be recovered by successful claimants of damages for reparation for personal injuries.

Iain Gray: Judicial expenses are fixed by the Court of Session by Act of Sederunt. The effects of these Orders on the tables of judicial expenses are for the Court. The Lord President's Advisory Committee on solicitors' fees is aware of the proposed changes, is engaging in discussions with the Law Society of Scotland and will advise the Lord President on revised tables of fees taking into account the effects of the orders and new procedure rules in summary causes.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what comparative assessments have been made in respect of the recovery of judicial expenses between claimants of damages for reparation for personal injuries in England and Wales and in Scotland following the coming into force of the draft Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (Privative Jurisdiction and Summary Cause) Order 2001 and the draft Small Claims (Scotland) Amendment Order 2001.

Iain Gray: No comparative assessments have been made with England and Wales. Judicial expenses relate to the work done under the relevant procedures and reflect a fair level of remuneration for that work.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, or have been held on its behalf, with the Rules Council of the Court of Session and the Sheriff Court Rules Council on the likely effects of the draft Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (Privative Jurisdiction and Summary Cause) Order 2001 and the draft Small Claims (Scotland) Amendment Order 2001.

Iain Gray: The Executive is represented on the Sheriff Court Rules Council and provides the Secretariat to that Council. The Sheriff Court Rules Council has taken account of the potential effect of the Orders in the course of its review of the summary cause and small claim rules. There have been no discussions with the Court of Session Rules Council but regular contact is maintained between officials in the Court of Session and of the Justice Department.

Land

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how expenditure of public money under the Scottish Land Fund is audited.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Details of the audit procedures exercised in relation to the New Opportunities Fund's Scottish Land Fund are a reserved matter for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Can I invite the member to write to Stephen Dunmore, Chief Executive of the New Opportunities Fund.

Landfill

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what long-term studies have been carried out to monitor the quantity and types of hazardous emissions around landfill sites.

Rhona Brankin: This information is not held centrally. However, the waste management licence conditions applied to landfill sites require the operator to carry out monitoring of emissions to water and air from the site. The results of this monitoring are available on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency public register.

Law

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18739 by Mr Jim Wallace on 30 October 2001 and with regard to the fact that transfer of land under Udal law may occur without written title, (a) what evidence is currently necessary as proof of ownership of heritable property in order to effect a transfer and (b) what criteria will have to be met for a real right to land on the Land Register to be registered.

Iain Gray: A significant number of Udal proprietors have recorded their titles in the register of Sasines. In such cases, the document used to effect a transfer of title is normally a Disposition, in a style similar to that used in mainland Scotland for the transmission of title to feudal property. It is not known how many properties in Orkney and Shetland are held on unwritten titles.

  Anyone acquiring Udal land after the commencement date of the Land Register in Orkney and Shetland on 1 April 2003 will be able to obtain a real right only by registration in the Land Register. Existing proprietors’ rights will not be affected. The Keeper has discretion under section 4(1) of the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 as to what evidence is acceptable in a particular case. He has not yet set a policy on what evidence he will require for the registration of Udal land. However, he has begun research on the implications of Udal law, and will take into account any available information as to current practice in the transmission of Udal land.

Legal Advice

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the report and recommendations of the Review of Legal Advice and Information Provision in Scotland Working Group will be published.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Review of Legal Advice and Information Provision in Scotland Working Group is today publishing its report. I very much welcome the publication of the report and look forward to reading it in detail and considering its findings. I greatly value the hard work and dedication of the members of the working group over the last year.

Local Government

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial and other support it provides to the Association of Scottish Community Councils.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive is providing funding of £81,000 over a three-year period from 2000-01 for the Association of Community Councils core activities.

Local Government

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to alter the geographical boundaries of local authorities.

Peter Peacock: Some minor boundary re-alignments may be implemented as a result of reports submitted by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland earlier this year. Under the provisions of section 14 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the next statutory review of local authority boundaries is scheduled to be undertaken by the commission between 2004 and 2008.

Maternity Services

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what schemes have been implemented for the improvement of maternity services, including the upgrading of maternity units; how much has been spent on the improvement of maternity services in the Highland Health Board area over each of the last five years, and what the breakdown of this expenditure was for each year.

Susan Deacon: The Executive attaches a high priority to ensuring that the NHS offers high quality maternity services in all parts of Scotland. Among the comprehensive principles identified in the Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland , published in February this year, were safety, choice, quality and access. Within the guidelines set out in the framework, it is for the NHS locally, working with service users and planning partners, to determine what initiatives and investment are necessary to develop services in their areas. Information about the cost of service developments is not held centrally.

  Highland NHS Board carried out a review of maternity services throughout the Highlands earlier this year. The review was informed by wide public consultation with local communities. The review report, published in August, made 41 recommendations for developing Highland maternity services in line with the Scottish framework. NHS Highland has started to implement these recommendations, in consultation with service users and planning partners.

Meat

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether inspections of imported processed meat since 1 July 1999 have found any disease or health hazards which would have affected consumers following consumption.

Malcolm Chisholm: Imported processed meats are controlled under Products of Animal Origin legislation and imports from third countries are subject to documentary and physical checks.

  Consignments which do not satisfy either documentary or physical checks are required to be destroyed, re-exported or reprocessed. It is not necessary to show evidence of disease or health hazard if documentary checks show consignments do not comply with Community or national controls.

  In addition to the normal returns made by Border Inspection Posts, as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak new arrangements on the sharing of such information between the local authorities, Food Standards Agency and Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department on illegally imported meat products were agreed in April 2001.

  The Food Standards Agency advises that since 1 July 1999 there have been no notifications of consignments or illegally imported products into Scotland which would have posed an animal or public health hazard.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what projects aimed at supporting young people with mental health problems it is currently funding.

Malcolm Chisholm: Services aimed at supporting young people with mental health problems are primarily provided through NHSScotland and local authority mental health services, for which the Scottish Executive is providing record levels of resources. Such services are provided directly or through voluntary sector bodies. In addition, Mental Illness Specific Grant goes to many projects at local level, that benefit people with mental health problems. These are not categorised according to client age.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the completed projects funded by the Mental Illness Specific Grant Scheme in 2000-01 were (a) eligible for mainstreaming and (b) actually mainstreamed.

Malcolm Chisholm: Mental Illness Specific Grant supports many small projects in the community which benefit people with mental illness. Most of these projects provide a continuing service, and are not completed. Mainstreaming of projects into individual local authority budgets is a matter for local authorities.

Ministerial Correspondence

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Deputy Minister for Rural Development will reply to my letter of 24 September 2001 regarding my constituent Mr R Stephen of Cairnbulg.

Rhona Brankin: I replied to the member on 7 November 2001.

NHS Modernisation

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its planned expenditure on NHS modernisation initiatives was in each quarter from November 1998 to date.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is committed to making substantial increases in health spending for the duration of this Parliament to deliver sustainable improvements for patients across Scotland. Significant resources totalling £5.9 billion are being invested in NHSScotland in 2001-02.

  Certain elements of revenue expenditure and most capital investment including PPP/PFI is used for the delivery of new modern facilities, modernisation of existing facilities, modernisation of working practices or the purchase of modern medical equipment.

NHS Waiting Times

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the closure of the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, will have on waiting times at accident and emergency departments in Glasgow.

Susan Deacon: The future provision of all acute hospital services in Glasgow is being considered within NHS Glasgow’s Acute Services Review. The outcome of the review must include satisfactory proposals for accident and emergency services throughout the city.

New Deal

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total budget for the New Deal for Young People was in Scotland at its inception and how much has been spent to date

Ms Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.

  Spending on New Deal is funded from a Great Britain-wide budget which is determined by the level of unemployment, and the size of the client group. Actual spending over the period to August 2001 was £107 million for Scotland.

  As a demand-led programme, the significant fall in unemployment has resulted in the lower than initially anticipated spending to August 2001.

Nursing

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make any representations to the Robert Gordon University with regard to restoring the learning disability branch programme of its Diploma in Higher Education and Bachelor of Arts in Nursing courses.

Susan Deacon: The National Review of the Contribution of Nurses to the Care and Support of People with Learning Disabilities was a key recommendation contained in Caring for Scotland: The Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery in Scotland , which was published in March 2001. The National Review is due to report at the end of June 2002. Thereafter the issue of learning disability training will be addressed.

Oil and Gas Industry

Elaine Thomson (Aberdeen North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to address any skills shortage in the oil and gas industry.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is aware of current skills shortages in the oil and gas industry through involvement with the government/industry PILOT Task Force. Future Skills Scotland has a key role in matching skills supply to employer demand and the unit has plans to carry out a skills audit of the oil and gas sector in the first half of 2002.

People with Disabilities

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to assist local authority social work departments in overcoming any delays in making alterations to the homes of people with disabilities who wish to continue living in their own homes as an alternative to institutional care.

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to investigate any delays in the provision of disability aids by the NHS and local authorities.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive provided an additional £5 million to assist with this in 2000-01. For the longer term, the Joint Future Group Report Community Care: A Joint Future  recommended a strategic overview of equipment and adaptations services to result in a better-focused and more effective service for the user. A Strategy Forum which includes all key players has been established to modernise and improve services and produce a vision for the future. It will make recommendations in due course.

People with Disabilities

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct an audit of the extent of delays by local authorities in making alterations to the homes of people with disabilities.

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to undertake a comparative investigation into the lengths of time local authorities take to implement alterations to the homes of people with disabilities.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Strategy Forum, which is referred to in the answer to question S1W-19550, will publish shortly the results of a survey of waiting times for local authority equipment and adaptations services which are assessed by social work.

People with Disabilities

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to simplify the administrative process for applications from people with disabilities in respect of alterations to their homes that will enable them to continue living in these homes.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Strategy Forum, which is referred to in the answer to question S1W-19550, is looking at new ways of working including self-assessment for simple solutions, and assessment by a wider range of assessors. These are measures which, in the context of overall modernisation and improvement of services, would simplify processes for people.

Planning

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance will be issued to local authorities about considering the impact on TV reception of applications for planning permission before planning consent is granted.

Lewis Macdonald: Planning Advice Note 62: Radio Telecommunications (Bib. number 16043) contains advice on development proposals causing interference with radio telecommunications services, which includes television signals.

Planning

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3351 by Lewis Macdonald on 31 July 2001, whether it has any plans to include third party rights of appeal in the planning system.

Lewis Macdonald: We have no plans at present to do so. However, a range of measures to promote more effective public involvement in the planning system will be discussed in a consultation paper which has been issued this month.

Planning

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16218 by Lewis Macdonald on 31 July 2001, how it plans to secure more effective public involvement in the planning process.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive issued a consultation paper this month seeking views on a range of proposals aimed at securing more effective public involvement in planning.

Planning

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors, or has carried out any research into, the effectiveness of measures to encourage public participation in the planning process, particularly the statutory requirements placed on local authorities by section 34 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has undertaken research specifically on the effectiveness of existing arrangements for advertising planning proposals. A copy of this is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 6475). The findings of the research are being taken into account in preparing a consultation paper on improving public involvement in planning.

Planning

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its leaflet A Guide to the Planning System in Scotland is made routinely available to those wishing to lodge an objection to a planning application or appear at a public inquiry.

Lewis Macdonald: The purpose of the guide is to help those people whose contact with the planning service is intermittent or infrequent. It provides a broad overview only. While we have asked planning authorities to make the guide widely available, we do not require them to tell us what information they routinely make available to those wishing to lodge an objection to a planning application or appear at a public inquiry.

  Information on planning appeal procedures is contained in the booklet Planning Appeals in Scotland produced by the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit (SEIRU). Further information is available in Circular, SODD 17/1998 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Order Inquiries and Hearings: Procedures and Good Practice. The booklet and circular can be obtained from SEIRU and are also available on the Scottish Executive website. These documents are routinely supplied free of charge by SEIRU to anyone making representations about a planning appeal or seeking information about inquiries and hearings.

Planning

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available to members of the public who have lodged objections to a planning application to prepare for and appear at a public inquiry.

Lewis Macdonald: Information on planning appeal procedures is contained in the booklet Planning Appeals in Scotland  produced by the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit. Further information is available in Circular, SODD 17/1998 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Order Inquiries and Hearings: Procedures and Good Practice.  The booklet and circular can be obtained from SEIRU and are also available on the Scottish Executive website. These documents are routinely supplied free of charge by SEIRU to anyone making representations about a planning appeal.

  Professional advice may be obtained from Planning Aid (Scotland), an organisation run by volunteers from the planning profession. There is no financial assistance available to members of the public who appear as objectors at a planning inquiry.

Planning

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors the use of enforcement procedures under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, Part VI in regard to the breach of conditions attached to planning permissions.

Lewis Macdonald: Planning authorities in Scotland have the primary responsibility for taking whatever enforcement action may be necessary, in the public interest, in their administrative area.

  We collect statistics, on a six-monthly basis, from planning authorities including information on the number of Breach of Condition Notices issued. This information will be included in the next report of the Planning Audit Unit, which will be published early next year and will be available on the internet.

Planning

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors the impact of a development on a local community where permission has been granted following a public inquiry.

Lewis Macdonald: No. Once such decisions are made, the responsibility for checking on compliance with the permission or for any enforcement action rests with the planning authority for the area.

Planning

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities are legally obliged to apply bio-diversity principles when considering all planning applications and if so, when this obligation came into force.

Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities are not obliged by law to apply bio-diversity principles when considering planning applications. However, the National Planning Policy Guideline on Natural Heritage (NPPG 14) stresses the importance of safeguarding and enhancing biodiversity and states that planning authorities should provide for the conservation of biodiversity in development plans. It also stresses that planning authorities should have full regard to natural heritage matters when considering individual planning applications. We have also issued a Planning Advice Note, PAN 60, on Planning and Natural Heritage  setting out the ways in which planning   can improve biodiversity objectives.

  National Planning Policy Guidelines and Planning Advice Notes may, as far as they are relevant, be material considerations to be taken into account in development plan preparation and development control.

Planning

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, where planning permission for the erection of residential property is granted and there is a privately-owned existing road or pathway, there should be a presumption in favour of a right of pedestrian and vehicular access and whether the law of servitude should be reformed accordingly.

Lewis Macdonald: Planning applications for developments taking access from a trunk road must be assessed on their individual merits. Such proposals are likely to lead to an increase in the amount of traffic entering and leaving the trunk road. Road safety issues are extremely important and I do not accept that a blanket presumption in favour of a right of access in these circumstances would be appropriate. Development proposals that seek to take access from local roads are for planning authorities to consider.

  Regarding the law of servitude, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19442 on 12 November 2001.

Planning

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to amend sections 37 or 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 following the publication of The Use and Effectiveness of Planning Agreements by Colin Buchanan & Partners with Dundas & Wilson and Robert Turley Associates and commissioned by its Central Research Unit.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has no such plans at present. The recommendations of the research report The Use and Effectiveness of Planning Agreements  are still under consideration. Such amendments would require primary legislation.

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology is used for establishing the number of police officers employed by individual police forces and what account is taken of the number of police officers employed by individual forces on long-term sick leave.

Iain Gray: The information requested is not held centrally. It is for chief constables in consultation with police authorities to decide on staffing levels within the resources available to them.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce the closure of workshops and other prisoner programmes due to the removal of staff for escort duty, as identified in the Visiting Committee of Polmont Young Offenders Institution Annual Report 1 April 2000-31 March 2001.

Mr Iain Gray: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The following steps have been taken to reduce the closure of workshops and other prisoner programmes:

  As part of the new SPS Staff Attendance System (SAS) brought in on 3 September 2001, a marked increase of staff is now allocated for escort duty.

  Also, as part of SAS, a new system was devised to draw staff from the Halls in the first instance rather than work parties.

  National recruitment is now underway and Polmont was given six staff in the first intake of recruits. They will be fully operational by the end of this month. Further recruits will be allocated to Polmont next year as necessary.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Annual Report of the Cornton Vale (under 21) Visiting Committee, how many "lock-ups" there were at the prison in 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001 to date.

Iain Gray: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  This information is not available.

Prison Service

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the work of MSPs and others representing prisoners will be affected by the decision of the Scottish Prison Service to require the explicit written consent of a prisoner before releasing to MSPs or others any information about that prisoner and whether this is an appropriate use of the provisions under the Data Protection Act 1984.

Iain Gray: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The work of MSPs and others representing prisoners will be facilitated by the decision. The relevant legislation is now the Data Protection Act (1998) which came into effect on 24 October 2001 and superseded the 1984 Act. The new Act updates and extends the scope of data protection provided by the 1984 Act and translates into United Kingdom legislation the 1995 European Union Directive on data protection.

  The action by the Scottish Prison Service has been taken to comply with the Data Protection Principles laid down by the 1998 Act, and is consistent with best practice, legal advice and is entirely in line with the spirit and intent of the Act. The new arrangements allow the Scottish Prison Service to continue to provide the information requested in accordance with the new legislation.

Prison Service

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision by the Scottish Prison Service with regard to the application of the Data Protection Act 1984 in relation to correspondence from MSPs on behalf of prisoners is consistent with practice by other public bodies.

Iain Gray: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Prior to implementation of the new procedures, the Scottish Prison Service sought advice from a number of relevant bodies including the Office of the Information Commissioner. The tenor of that advice suggested that public bodies should all adopt such a procedure and we were told that many have done so.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many senior management staff are currently employed at the headquarters of the Scottish Prison Service and how many of these have had work experience within a prison in the last (a) one, (b) three and (c) five years.

Iain Gray: : I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The number of staff at SPS Headquarters at Band G or above as at 1 November 2001 was 63.

  The remainder of the information sought is not readily available and could not be produced except at disproportionate cost.

Public Sector

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage public bodies to purchase or lease vehicles which are capable of running on liquefied petroleum gas.

Rhona Brankin: The Executive’s Scottish Energy Efficiency Office promotes the use of alternative vehicle fuels in the public and private sectors by funding the Powershift cleaner vehicle fuels programme which is run by the Energy Saving Trust. The Executive recognises both the financial and environmental benefits of such fuels and is currently converting its own fleet to liquefied petroleum gas.

Public Sector

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the explanation given by the Minister for Finance and Local Government in his interview with the Irvine Times published on 2 November 2001 for the decision to relocate jobs from the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to Galashiels rather than Irvine is consistent with the previous explanation given by its officials to North Ayrshire Council.

Angus MacKay: Relocation decisions are based on a range of issues including costs, quality and efficiency of service, economic factors such as unemployment, availability and suitability of property and staff, transport issues, and the position of staff concerned. Further criteria to be taken into account will depend on the organisation itself and the nature of the work in question.

  In my interview I indicated that a range of factors was taken into account in deciding where the Scottish Public Pensions Agency should be sited. Scottish Executive officials also met with North Ayrshire Council to explain the range of factors taken into account. Each case is considered on its merits.

Public/Private Partnerships

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it will make available to local authorities in Level Playing Field Support for Public/Private Partnership projects in (i) the current financial year and (ii) 2002-03.

Angus MacKay: Local authorities will receive £34,279,000 in the current year and £39,976,000 in 2002-03 in Level Playing Field Support for Public/Private Partnership projects.

Racism

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many racist incidents have been reported to the police since 11 September 2001 to date, broken down by police force area; how many of these incidents have been linked to the current international situation, and how many racist incidents were reported to the police, broken down by police force area, in the same period last year.

Iain Gray: The figures requested are not collected centrally. The latest available figures on racist incidents reported to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and racially aggravated offences recorded by the police are given in the following tables, but these do not cover the period since 11 September 2001.

  Racist incidents data collated by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary

  


Police force area 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



Scotland 
  

2,242 
  

2,731 
  



Central 
  

184 
  

153 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

24 
  

57 
  



Fife 
  

186 
  

166 
  



Grampian 
  

103 
  

180 
  



Lothian & Borders 
  

552 
  

551 
  



Northern 
  

25 
  

75 
  



Strathclyde 
  

866 
  

1,241 
  



Tayside 
  

302 
  

308 
  



  Racially aggravated offences 1 (including harassment and conduct) recorded by the police

  


Police force area 
  

1999 
  

20002




Racially aggravated harassment 
  

Racially aggravated conduct 
  

Total 
  

Racially aggravated harassment 
  

Racially aggravated conduct 
  

Total 
  



Scotland 
  

106 
  

280 
  

386 
  

232 
  

685 
  

917 
  



Central 
  

 - 
  

 - 
  

 - 
  

33 
  

1 
  

 34 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

 - 
  

 - 
  

 - 
  

1 
  

1 
  

 2 
  



Fife 
  

8 
  

30 
  

 38 
  

12 
  

108 
  

 120 
  



Grampian 
  

5 
  

20 
  

 25 
  

 - 
  

 - 
  

 - 
  



Lothian & Borders 
  

 - 
  

 - 
  

 - 
  

4 
  

32 
  

 36 
  



Northern 
  

 - 
  

 - 
  

 - 
  

12 
  

10 
  

 22 
  



Strathclyde 
  

30 
  

172 
  

 202 
  

114 
  

438 
  

 552 
  



Tayside 
  

63 
  

58 
  

 121 
  

56 
  

95 
  

 151 
  



  Notes:

  1. Data collected with effect from 1 January 1999.

  2. An error has been found in the data for Central in 2000. The majority of the offences assigned to racially aggravated harassment should have be assigned to racially aggravated conduct. The figures will be corrected for inclusion in the 2001 statistical bulletin on recorded crime.

Rail Network

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government regarding the impact of any scarcity of rail signalling resources on the development of rail projects in Scotland and on what dates, to whom and on what specific issues were any such representations made.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government about a wide range of issues related to railways.

Rail Services

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, or plans to have, with the special railway administrators of Railtrack plc to ensure continuity of rail services in Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: In October, I wrote to Railtrack's Administrators seeking assurances that Scotland's interests will be positively addressed during the period Railtrack is in administration.

Renewable Energy

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what forms of support are available from it and Her Majesty’s Government for the production of wind energy.

Rhona Brankin: The Executive is committed to the promotion of renewable energy in Scotland, and to its accounting for 18% of electricity supply in Scotland by 2010. This will be achieved by means of the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) which will start next year, subject to parliamentary approval. We expect that most of the resultant development will comprise wind energy projects.

  Financial assistance for the development of specific renewable energy technologies is a matter for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Funding for research and development, and capital grants for development of offshore wind technologies, is available from DTI for projects across the UK.

Residential Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why local authorities reduced their charges for residents in residential care homes for physically disabled people from a weekly charge of £750 in the year 1999 to £485 in the year 2000, as detailed on page 64 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 .

Malcolm Chisholm: There are very few local authority homes catering for physically disabled people. Table 4.7 in Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 shows that there were three such homes open at the 1999 census and four at the 2000 census. The average weekly charge figures are therefore based on a very small number of homes and any changes e.g. homes opening or closing may have a significant effect on the average in this table.

Roads

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to arrange a ministerial visit to the Ballinluig junction on the A9 Inverness to Perth trunk road in order to inspect the safety of the junction.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans to arrange a ministerial visit to the Ballinluig junction. However, officials have visited the site on many occasions to meet with local community representatives, Tayside Police and BEAR Scotland Ltd. Visits have included safety inspections, safety audits, and onsite meetings to discuss ways of increasing safety at the junction.

  In addition, I have met with various parties to discuss this matter including John Swinney MSP, local Community Council representatives and the Chief Constables of Tayside Police and the Northern Constabulary.

Roads

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what penalties are contained in the BEAR Scotland Ltd trunk road contract for failure to clear snow and ice.

Sarah Boyack: BEAR’s performance is reviewed and monitored continuously by the Performance Audit Group who report to the Scottish Executive. If the contractor fails to perform there are a range of sanctions that the Scottish Executive could take.

  The Scottish Executive can issued default notices to BEAR to ensure the level of service is maintained.

  In addition, monies can be withheld where it is considered appropriate to do so.

  If any Operating Company consistently and irretrievably failed to meet its contractual obligations, the Scottish Executive has the right to invoke "step in rights" and appoint another organisation to carry out the works. Any additional costs incurred would be recovered from the Operating Company.

Roads

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive who has responsibility for monitoring compliance by BEAR Scotland Ltd with the requirements of its trunk road contract.

Sarah Boyack: BEAR Scotland Ltd’s performance is reviewed and monitored continuously by the Performance Audit Group (PAG), an independent body, appointed by the Scottish Executive. PAG monitors technical and financial competence by audits and inspections and reports to the Scottish Executive.

School Trips

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18283 by Allan Wilson on 15 October 2001, how many meetings of the Health and Safety Commission’s Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee have been attended by Executive officials to date and what proportion of the total number of meetings of the committee this represents.

Allan Wilson: The Executive has been represented at one of the five meetings held since being invited to attend as observers.

Scottish Executive Contracts

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contracts with a value of £100,000 and over it and the Scottish Office placed with PricewaterhouseCoopers and their predecessors, Price Waterhouse and Coopers and Lybrand, in each year since 1993.

Angus MacKay: Since 1 April 1996 only two contracts with a value in excess of £100,000 have been placed with Price Waterhouse, Coopers and Lybrand or PricewaterhouseCoopers.

  In 1996 a contract was awarded to Coopers and Lybrand to provide financial advice on the Kilmarnock Prison PFI project. In 2000 a contract was awarded to PricewaterhouseCoopers in respect of a feasibility study of broadband connectivity for schools.

  Information for the period prior to 1 April 1996 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Scottish Executive Publications

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of the report The Public Defence Solicitors’ Office in Edinburgh: An Independent Evaluation , giving a breakdown of the costs for (a) research, including researchers’ fees, (b) printing and production and (c) time expended by (i) the Central Research Unit and (ii) the Scottish Legal Aid Board.

Iain Gray: The total contract for the evaluation of the public defender system was £362,115 across the 30 months of the project. Researcher’s fees are not separately identified in this total since the contract costs were primarily for the engagement of the research team to undertake the evaluation. The printing and production costs were £8,956 for both the report and research findings. It is not possible to calculate the costs of time expended by the Central Research Unit and the Scottish Legal Aid Board since input varied across the duration of the project and detailed records of time input were not kept.

Scottish Executive Publications

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of publishing, producing and distributing its report, Creating our Future: Minding our Past: National Cultural Strategy , First Annual Report.

Allan Wilson: The total cost for design, printing and web conversion of the First Annual Report of the Creating our Future: Minding our Past: National Cultural Strategy was £3,175.25.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that there is an independent investigation into the actions and conduct of Scottish Natural Heritage in relation to the designation of Sunart as a proposed site of special scientific interest and potential special area of conservation.

Rhona Brankin: No. I am confident that Scottish Natural Heritage have conducted an open and constructive consultation process, and that no further independent investigation is necessary.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what National Heritage Areas have been created under the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991.

Rhona Brankin: No Natural Heritage Areas have been created under the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991. Following the introduction of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 there is no intention to designate any Natural Heritage Areas.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether urban fringe areas can be included in Natural Heritage Areas or whether this would require legislative amendment to the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991.

Rhona Brankin: Natural Heritage Area designation was intended to apply to large areas of land of outstanding natural heritage value. Such areas would be likely to have a wide range of nature conservation and landscape interests. Where an urban fringe area meets the relevant criteria it could be included in a Natural Heritage Area without amendment to the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991.

Sexual Health

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what organisations which do not provide clinical services it funds to provide sexual health advice and (b) what level of funding each organisation has received in each of the past three years.

Malcolm Chisholm: Details of funding to such organisations are set out in the table.

  


Organisation 
  

Funding received 
  



1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



Family Planning Association 
  

£15,000 
  

£17,000 
  

£17,000 
  



Fertility Care Scotland 
  

£6,000 
  

£6,500 
  

£6,500 
  



Healthy Gay Scotland 
  

£93,000 
  

£183,320 
  

£135,136 
  



Positive Steps Partnership 
  

£30,000 
  

£232,000 
  

£315,000 
  



  In addition, Lothian Health will receive £3 million over a three-year period to lead the demonstration project Healthy Respect. Launched late last year, the project aims to help young people develop a positive attitude to sexual matters and ultimately to reduce the rates of unplanned teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. The Health Education Board for Scotland also takes initiatives in relation to sexual health, funded from its general allocation.

Shipbuilding

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the land currently occupied by British Aerospace, formerly Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd in Scotstoun, Glasgow, has been sold and, if so, what implications this will have for employment in the shipbuilding industry.

Ms Wendy Alexander: No land or property currently occupied by BAE SYSTEMS in Scotstoun has been sold to date.

Social Justice

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to publish its Social Justice Annual Report.

Jackie Baillie: The Social Justice Annual Report 2001 will be published on Monday 26 November 2001. Copies of the full report and the accompanying technical volume are available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre and on the Scottish Executive’s website www.scotland.gov.uk.

Social Work

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of social work supervision is available to (a) life sentence prisoners, (b) determinate sentence prisoners serving over four years, (c) registered sex offenders and (d) determinate sentence prisoners serving less than four years who voluntarily seek supervision.

Iain Gray: Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a service for individuals in their area who, following release from prison or other form of detention, are required to be under supervision. In addition, local authorities provide an after-care service to anyone who asks for it within 12 months of their release. The level of this social work supervision is set out in the National Objectives and Standards for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System . Further guidance was also issued in November 1998 for those subject to extended sentence.

  Supervision depends on the nature of the offender and the nature of the offence. It includes advice, guidance and assistance on release from custody, as well as specific requirements for instance to undertake courses to address offending behaviour or live in a specific type of accommodation all designed to reduce the risk of re-offending and reintegrate the offender into the community. An offender released on licence may be subject to recall to custody if specific conditions are not kept.

Special Educational Needs

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to provide additional funding and other forms of assistance for children with special educational needs in the current financial year.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive will provide an additional £1.3 million of funding this financial year through the Inclusion Programme, to support education authorities in making information and communication technology more accessible to pupils with special educational needs. This funding is in addition to £13 million already provided under the Inclusion Programme this year and also £7.4 million for special educational needs in-service training and Innovation Grants.

Speech Therapy

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve the provision of speech therapy for children under five in the light of the British Stammering Association’s Parental Awareness campaign.

Susan Deacon: We welcome the association's campaign to help raise awareness of this communication problem.

  Speech and language therapists play an important part in the treatment of stammering and their numbers have increased by 11% over the last four years.

  A Strategy for Professions Allied to Medicine, of which speech and language therapists are one group, is being developed which is looking at a number of key issues such as recruitment and retention, education and training.

Sport

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the business rate liability for indoor equestrian arenas.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive has no plans to review the business rate liability specifically for indoor equestrian arenas. All businesses occupying properties with a rateable value of £10,000 or less benefit from a 2p reduction in the poundage this year.

  For businesses suffering financial hardship, local authorities can grant up to 100% relief from rates. The Scottish Executive pays 75% of the cost of this relief. For the period 1 April to 31 December 2001 the Scottish Executive is funding 95% of the cost of hardship relief for businesses occupying properties with a rateable value of £12,000 or less affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in rural local authority areas. In recognition of the exceptionally difficult conditions in the Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Border Council areas, the rateable value threshold has been raised (with retrospective effect from 1 April) to £50,000.

Sport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a detailed breakdown of how much was spent on the bid for the Ryder Cup golf championship and of the expenditure heads from which the money was spent.

Allan Wilson: In 2000-01 £104,177 was spent on the submission of the Ryder Cup bid, associated costs and consultancies.

  In 2001-02 £827,155 was spent on the Ryder Cup. Of this £646,500 was spent on supporting golf events and £180,655 was spent on consultancies and other bid expenses. Also, an additional amount of up to £118,000 is being spent by VisitScotland on Ryder Cup related golf tourism and up to £300,000 is being spent by sportscotland for junior golf development. These monies were allocated from the sport, VisitScotland and other arts and culture expenditure heads.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what reassurances it has sought from international sporting bodies that any bids to host international sporting events in Scotland in the future will not be influenced by the circumstances surrounding the recent bid by Her Majesty’s Government to host the World Athletics Championships in 2005.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive made no such approaches to international sporting bodies.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on any implications for any future bids to host international sporting events in Scotland in the light of the circumstances surrounding the recent bid by Her Majesty’s Government to host the World Athletics Championships in 2005 and the representations made by Richard Caborn MP, the Minister for Sport, to members of the International Association of Athletics Federations over the possible venue for these championships.

Allan Wilson: No such representations have been made.

Student Loans

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18956 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 6 November 2001, when the contract awarded to the Student Loans Company Ltd to administer the debt portfolio on behalf of private owners ends, and whether the terms of the administration and collection arrangements could be altered upon renewal of the contract.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Under the terms of both debt sales, concluded in March 1998 and March 1999, the Student Loans Company remains responsible for the administration of debt and the collection of repayments for at least the first five years of private ownership.

  The administration arrangements can be altered upon renewal of the contracts or before, but the collection arrangements are specified in the Regulations which govern the provision of student loans.

Student Loans

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18955 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 6 November 2001, whether the debt owners have changed since 31 March 2001 and, if so, who the present debt owners are and how much is owned by each company.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The debt owners have not changed since 31 March 2001.

Telecommunications

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as part of its broadband strategy, it has information on how many telephone operators, other than British Telecom (BT), are installing Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line facilities within or adjacent to BT exchanges and what the location of each facility is.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Following requests from operators, BT has now completed build at six co-location sites across the UK. Work is on-going at a further 10 co-location sites.

  Work has been completed at 41 distant location sites and is on-going at a further six distant location sites across the UK.

  Once these sites have been handed over to the operators, they can install and operate their DSL equipment in accordance with their commercial roll out strategy.

  The Scottish Executive does not have details of which operators are involved in the process.

Tourism

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether VisitScotland has made any agreement to make payment of any sum to Mr Rod Lynch; if so (a) what the amount of the sum is, (b) what such money would otherwise have been spent on, (c) with whom the responsibility for any such payment lies and (d) whether there are any precedents of payments being made to an individual appointee to a post in a non-departmental public body or other executive agency who did not go on to take up post.

Ms Wendy Alexander: VisitScotland has made no agreement to any payment. The other questions do not therefore apply.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take to promote direct air links with Canada.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive, in partnership with the Enterprise Networks, VisitScotland and the airport operators, continues to encourage the development of more commercial and cost effective air services from Scotland to Canada and other destinations for the benefit of the travelling public and the Scottish economy.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average amount spent by visitors to Scotland from Canada was in each year since 1997.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: The information requested is as follows:

  


Year 
  

Average Spend (in 2000 prices) 
  



1997 
  

£504 
  



1998 
  

£447 
  



1999 
  

£502 
  



2000 
  

£655

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many visitors there were from Canada to Scotland in each year since 1999 to date.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: The information requested is as follows:

  


Year 
  

Number of Trips 
  



1999 
  

119,000 
  



2000 
  

145,500

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many visitors to Scotland arrived in (a) a Scottish airport and (b) elsewhere in the United Kingdom on a direct flight from Canada in each year since 1997.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally. However, the Office of National Statistics’ Information Passenger Survey, as well as the Civil Aviation Authority, may be able to provide information on visitors arriving at/departing from airports in Scotland/UK. Contact details are as follows:

  ips@ons.gov.uk

  www.caaerg.co.uk.

Voluntary Organisations

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make representations to both Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the local enterprise companies to provide matching funding towards the costs of Volunteering Highland taking on a senior development officer.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive provides all local volunteer development agencies (LVDA’s), including Volunteering Highland, with generous grant towards their running and programme costs. In 2001-02, Volunteering Highland will receive over £41,000 from the Scottish Executive, via Volunteer Development Scotland.

  In total, Scottish Executive grant funding for the LVDA network in 2001-02 will be around £1.2 million. As a condition of grant, each LVDA is expected to secure match funding. It is incumbent on each LVDA to arrange match funding as part of its on-going business.

Waste Management

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities will be able to apply for funding to the Strategic Waste Fund once the Area Waste Plan relevant to their particular local area has been completed.

Rhona Brankin: Draft guidance on applications to the Strategic Waste Fund will be issued to local authorities for comment in due course.

Waste Management

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is encouraging the development of CFC recovery technology.

Rhona Brankin: The Executive does not operate a specific programme which encourages the development of CFC recovery technology. The Executive has written to waste metal recyclers and industry to inform them of the forthcoming legislation and discussed the need for this technology with a number of industry representatives. In this way the Executive aims to ensure industry is aware of the new opportunities likely to arise from the legislation. It is up to industry to identify and take advantage of a business opportunity as a particular market presents itself in this way.

Waste Management

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funds it will make available to develop and implement the Priority Waste Stream Projects.

Rhona Brankin: The Priority Waste Stream projects are being taken forward by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) as part of the National Waste Strategy: Scotland (NWS). Additional grant-in-aid totalling some £16.5 million over the three-year period 2001-02 to 2003-04 was announced for SEPA as part of Spending Review 2000. This included additional funding for SEPA's work to implement the NWS. No ring-fenced funding has been allocated for the Priority Waste Stream Projects or any other specific initiative.

Waste Management

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Priority Waste Stream Projects are due to commence.

Rhona Brankin: The Priority Waste Stream Projects are being taken forward by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) as part of the National Waste Strategy: Scotland .

  Baseline studies to investigate the current position for several of the priority projects are being carried out by consultants appointed by SEPA. The work on newsprint, tyres and end-of-life vehicles commenced in July 2001 and that for construction and demolition waste commenced in September 2001.

  SEPA is currently reviewing its plans for the remaining projects.

Waste Management

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17121 by Rhona Brankin on 30 August 2001, when it now expects all 11 Area Waste Plans to be completed.

Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19159 on 14 November 2001.

Water Charges

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the collection rate for non-domestic water charges as a percentage of the total amount billed was in each water authority in each year from 1995-96 to 2000-01.

Ross Finnie: The collection rate for non-domestic water charges as a percentage of the total amount billed is:

  

 

1996-97 
  

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



WOSWA 
  

97.7% 
  

97.4% 
  

96.6% 
  

95.21% 
  

90.81% 
  



ESWA 
  

98.5% 
  

98.1% 
  

97.8% 
  

96.5%1


92.7%1




NOSWA 
  

98.9% 
  

99.1% 
  

99.1% 
  

99.3% 
  

98.3%1




  Note:

  1. These figures are expected to rise to historic levels.

  Actual provision made for non-domestic bad debt was given in the answer to question S1W-17879 on 27 September 2001.

Young Offenders

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that persistent young offenders are brought before the courts more speedily than at present.

Colin Boyd QC: Most offenders under 18 are not subject to criminal proceedings. There is a presumption that cases reported against offenders under the age of 16 will be dealt with by the Reporter to the Children's Panel unle ss there are compelling reasons in the public interest to take criminal proceedings. Further, offenders aged 16 and 17 who are subject to a supervision requirement may also be dealt with by the Reporter.

  In the event that court proceedings are taken against a persistent young offender, there are at present no special provisions to expedite the case. However, consideration is being given to the priority accorded to cases against child offenders (i.e. those under 16).

  In addition, the committee set up under Sheriff Principal John McInnes is to examine the operation of the summary justice system. It is hoped that increased efficiency of the summary courts will impact upon the speed at which all offenders, including persistent young offenders, are brought before the courts.